EGG ON THE FACE OF TSC

LOBAMBA – The teacher who had resigned from the service after being accused of sexual misconduct with one of his pupils could not believe his luck when the PAC ruled that he be reinstated.

Dumisa Sacolo, a former Science and Mathematics teacher at Nhlangano Central High School, had appeared before the Public Accounts Committee to explain why he had continued to cash his salary for almost two years after his resignation.

The amount he received unlawfully was about E244 000. However, the Ministry of Education and Training, in particular the Teaching Service Commission (TSC), was yesterday left exposed on the shoddy job it had done in handling Sacolo’s case.
Interestingly, for four years, the post vacated by Sacolo was never filled.

Sacolo informed the PAC, which was chaired by the Deputy Chairperson Gege MP, Musa Kunene, that through frustration and stress he had faced at the school, he decided to resign on October 22, 2015.

Sacolo submitted that he wrote three letters to the head teacher, the regional education officer (REO) and the TSC.
He said some time in 2015, he was accused by a parent of being engaged in a sexual relationship with one of the pupils he taught.

“I was called by someone who identified herself as the grandmother or some relative of the pupil, informing me that her child was sick in hospital and that I was the cause of the illness,” said Sacolo.

Ailment

He informed the PAC that while he was still trying to figure out what the ailment had to do with him, police from the Nhlangano Police Station called him and informed him that he was accused of sexual misconduct with the unidentified people.
“This went on for a while and I kept being called to report to the magistrates court and sometimes the police station.”

He said around January to February 2017, the police said they would call him if he was needed in court.
“What made me resign was that I was frustrated and stressed and in all honesty, I could not stand in front of the pupils and teach as it would have been embarrassing,” said Sacolo.

He admitted that when he continued to receive his salary, he had spent it because he did not know what other steps he was supposed to take because he had tendered his resignation.

“It is my wish to pay back the money and if the TSC could give me another opportunity, I would gladly take it,” said Sacolo.
He said he had started teaching in 2006 at Franson Christian High School and was then recruited in 2013 by a former head teacher at Nhlangano, who said he should join him so that they could produce excellent results for the school.

As much as he pleaded his case, the PAC did not let Sacolo off lightly as he was asked why he should be reinstated because he had shown alleged criminal elements by continuing to spend government funds knowing well that he was not providing any service.

“Bowutsi ibuyaphi lemali (where did you think the money was coming from) and why didn’t you go before the TSC to enquire if that meant that your resignation was not acceptable to them,” wondered Madlangempisi MP Sibusiso ‘Scorpion’ Nxumalo.

Manzini Region MP Busisiwe Mavimbela, however, held a different view and said the ministry was at fault for failing to freeze Sacolo’s salary.
Mavimbela said there was no other away Sacolo could refund government save for if he was rehired because the TSC had failed to respond to whether it was granting Sacolo his request or not.

She said the parties who had to refund government included both the TSC and the then head teacher for failing to process the teacher’s resignation and the teacher for continuing to accept salary advice slips yet the post had now been vacant.

Officials

Mntfongwaneni MP Roy Fanourakis also blamed the ministry’s officials, including the human resources department and the REO.
“Sacolo also knew that he had resigned. Did he think he was getting a pension of some sorts? He must be punished too because this was fraud, however, I also suggest he must go back to work because the ministry clearly did not accept his resignation,” he said.

The PAC did not accept Sacolo’s submission that he did not know the procedure for resigning because they argued he was a professional and accused him of just wanting to score on the lotto (lottery). 

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